By: Diane Benjamin
In November I reported the City of Bloomington wants to minimize YOUR elected officials. http://blnnews.com/2014/11/08/bloomington-retreat-report-cough/
9 Aldermen are entrusted to represent you on the Council. They have the final word on the direction of the City and spending. 7 don’t realize the importance of standing for the people who elected them. Some could be looking for higher office, the rest fail in their duty to hold the Mayor and City Manager accountable. 3 new taxes last year and spending increases is proof.
The City is now implementing their plan to remove aldermen from handling citizen problems. At the retreat, Department heads said they felt intimidated by Aldermen, so citizens won’t be able to have their problems solved by their elected representative anymore. Modified Wards didn’t work, so this is the new approach to handing more power to the City. A committee has been formed – congrats new bureaucracy! The Mayor picked the Aldermen (all potted plants), David Hales picked the rest.
Why does Bloomington have elections? Aldermen are voluntarily agreeing to NOT represent you. I wonder if citizens will be required to appear before the committee. Maybe they will even want you on your knees begging for relief!
In April you have a chance to take your power back from Renner and Hales! Schmidt and Hauman can be replaced, Black isn’t up for election.
This email was received under the Freedom of Information Act:
Ok, this seems simple enough. It’s our job as residents to drive this committee nuts by nonstop reporting of citywide problems, make it a nonstop barrage of fix our streets and infrastructure, lower our taxes and get the pension debt under control. Report every pothole and don’t shut up until things are fixed. I hope that when we’re done people will wish they never signed up to be on this committee. Either that or we’ll for once get a functioning city government.
That might work, or they might just ignore you. Since your alderman won’t be fighting for you, the committee and proclaim you a pest and therefore irrelevant.
“Department heads said they felt intimidated by Aldermen, so citizens won’t be able to have their problems solved by their elected representative anymore.” I would believe that department heads feel more intimidation from Hales who might suggest their early retirements. Hales is much worse than the worse that I thought. He is big government all the way.
The culture change is anti-American.